If you’ve ever been treated for hairy cell leukemia in the past, it makes sense to assume that you wouldn’t qualify for life insurance considering the seriousness of this disease.
Qualification could happen if you have recovered from any treatment.
Whether you can qualify for life insurance depends on the severity of your leukemia and how you responded to treatment. You can also increase your chances of qualifying with a good application. To help you get prepared, here are the underwriting guidelines for hairy cell leukemia.
This article shares different tips on getting affordable life insurance for cancer patients, even as an applicant with hairy cell leukemia.
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Life Insurance Underwriting
Agents will want to know more about the condition you have. You’ll need to be ready to answer:
- When were you diagnosed with leukemia?
- What stage leukemia did you have?
- Was there any treatment received?
- Has there been any recurrences?
- What was the result of your most recent CBC (Current Blood Count)?
- What is your families history with cancer and do you smoke?
When you answer these questions, be honest and forthcoming about all details.
You want the life insurance underwriters to feel like they understand everything about your leukemia and its treatment.
If your application seems incomplete, your chances of a rejection or poor rating go way up.
Life Insurance Quotes With Hairy Cell Leukemia
When you apply for life insurance with leukemia, underwriters will consider a few points about your cancer. First, they’ll consider how far the leukemia spread based on its stage, ranging from Stage 0 to Stage 5.
They’ll also consider what kind of treatment you received and how long it’s been since your treatment. The longer you wait, the better your rating as this shows that you haven’t had a recurrence.
Insurers will also consider your overall health and other risk factors for life insurance. While each company uses different guidelines, here are the general underwriting rates for someone with hairy cell leukemia.
- Preferred Plus: Not possible for someone with leukemia. Even if you’ve fully recovered and are in good health, you can’t qualify for a discounted policy because of the severity of this disease.
- Preferred: Also not possible for someone that had leukemia.
- Standard: This rating is also generally impossible for applicants that have had hairy cell leukemia. Even the top life insurance companies for this condition are very reluctant to give standard or better ratings to anyone that had cancer.
- Table Rating (substandard): Possible for someone that had Stage 0 or Stage 1 hairy cell leukemia. An applicant’s rating depends on how long it’s been since their treatment, their CBC rating, and their age (the older you are, the better your rating). Insurance companies will also consider your overall health for the table rating.
- Declines: Applicants that had Stage 2 or higher leukemia or are younger than 50 and had leukemia in the past. In addition, applicants that apply within five years of a bone marrow transplant or within one year of other treatments are also likely to be declined.
Hairy Cell Leukemia Insurance Case Studies
Qualifying for insurance with hairy cell leukemia is challenging so you need to do everything you can to increase your chances. One strategy is to plan out when and how to fill out your application. .
Case Study #1: Male, 65 y/o, non-smoker, diagnosed Stage 0 Leukemia at 58, fully recovered from treatment at 59, no other health issues
This applicant was in overall decent health when he was diagnosed with Stage 0 leukemia at 58. Fortunately, he fully recovered after chemotherapy and didn’t need a bone marrow transplant. Since then, he has been healthy and showed no signs of remission.
Immediately after recovering, this applicant tried to buy life insurance and was denied so he thought he couldn’t by insurance. After reading our website, he realized he could now qualify since he had waited several years.
We also advised him to test his CBC before applying to show he was in a normal range. With this extra information, the applicant was able to qualify for a Substandard Level 2 policy. While this is not a cheap life insurance policy it is much better on a per-dollar basis than one that is guaranteed issue.
Case Study #2: Female, 59 y/o, former smoker, diagnosed with Stage 1 Leukemia at 55, fully recovered from treatment at 56
This applicant was not in great shape. She smoked and had high blood pressure. When she was diagnosed with leukemia and eventually recovered, she realized she needed to turn things around. Since then, she quit smoking and fortunately had no other problems.
However, when she tried applying for insurance at 59, she was denied. The cancer and the former health issues were too much for her to qualify.
We recommended to see her doctor and ask for a note confirming that she was taking better care of herself. After presenting this to the carrier, her policy was approved.
These are only a few different examples of what you could face as an applicant with hairy cell leukemia. Every applicant is different and is going to have different rates depending on their health and the life insurance company.
Because there are so many different factors that are going to impact your chances of getting an affordable insurance plan, it’s impossible for us to give an exact number of what you would pay, but these examples will give you an idea of what you will face.
Improving Your Chances of Getting Cheap Life Insurance
If you have been diagnosed with leukemia, it’s going to be more difficult to get affordable life insurance, but not impossible. There are several ways that you can improve your chances of getting cheap life insurance protection.
The first thing that you should do is cut out any tobacco that you currently use. If you use tobacco, then you’re going to be viewed as a higher risk.
As we mentioned in the example above, smoking coupled with leukemia will cause you to be declined for insurance coverage. Not only will it increase your chances of being approved for life insurance, but it will also save you thousands of dollars.
It’s simple for us to recommend improving your health as a way to get lower premiums. The hard part is to actually do it. Take it in small steps by watching your portion size and walking 20 minutes a day.
Eventually, you’ll start eating a salad here and there and start using weights and running. These things overall will help reduce blood pressure and other numbers that are collected during the med exam.
Working With an Independent Insurance Agent
When you’re shopping for life insurance, it can be a confusing process. There are dozens of different factors that you’ll need to consider.
You will need to decide which type of plan is best for you and which company you’re going to purchase the policy from. It can be overwhelming when you’re looking at all of the available options.
If you want to get the best rates, always compare. Find independent agencies and ask them for help. They can be appointed with many carriers and give you more options than you knew were possible.
Final Thoughts on Life Insurance With Hairy Cell Leukemia
Securing life insurance when you’ve battled hairy cell leukemia may seem challenging, but it’s not impossible. The key lies in understanding the underwriting guidelines and making a well-prepared application.
Life insurance underwriters will delve into the details of your leukemia history, including the stage, treatment, and recurrences. Honesty and thoroughness in your application are essential to gain their trust.
When it comes to life insurance quotes with hairy cell leukemia, the severity of the disease, the treatment received, and the time since treatment play pivotal roles. While it’s difficult to secure preferred or standard ratings, substandard or table ratings are possible for certain cases.
Case studies demonstrate the importance of timing, health improvements, and medical documentation in obtaining coverage. Each applicant’s situation is unique, and rates will vary accordingly.
To enhance your chances of affordable life insurance, quit tobacco, improve overall health, and work with an independent insurance agent who can offer a wide range of options. Comparison shopping remains your best strategy to find the most suitable coverage for your specific needs.
